“B o r i n nng!” I shouted back, as if I was scared he could not hear me.

Even my favorite sheep milk yogurt would not do: I was actually feeling picky.

We had bags of delicious-looking Heirloom apples — they are everywhere in the house, in fact — a cake I had baked earlier in the week — handy for my frequent, sudden afternoon snacks — even a lemon yogurt tart that I had decided to prepare late the night before, on a whim, just like that, because I had not made one in years, and I felt like tasting one. But despite all of those, all I could think of was a silky and creamy pot de crème, you know, a dessert very similar to those ones.

Lemon, Poppyseed Yogurt Tart

Although I’ve not experienced crazy food cravings during my pregnancy — some of you have asked me about it — I have nonetheless developed a strong opinion about what I want to eat, and what I do not want, no matter what. Of course, it’s not that I did not have an opinion on my food before — P. could confirm that part — but now more than ever, I’ve noticed that it’s just more present. Always there, in me.

So I had really been thinking about these petits pots de crème all week. But never managed to prepare a batch, always running short of time.

“Ca sera vite fait, tu verras. On a le temps ce soir,” I told P. as we started to discuss other dessert possibilities (It will be quickly prepared, you’ll see. We have time tonight.)

True.

This dessert does not require a lot of time to be prepared. I’ve made numerous variants on the same idea, and always find the result extremely satisfying. When I was a kid, it was probably one of the desserts that my brother B. and I often ate during the week. My mum always prepared vanilla and chocolate pots de crème for us to enjoy at lunch, or dinner. Sometimes we had one, but I often begged for a second one. To my delight, I remember her often giving in too.

In this recipe, I decided to add some fruit. Since I had homemade apple compote in the fridge, I thought it would work well with the cream. It would feel like tasting a yogurt with the fruit at the bottom. You would, in fact, get the full taste of the dessert with a spoonful dipped deep in the jar.

And it worked like a charm.

To start, I infused coconut milk and milk with cinnamon and cardamom; then, I simply added sugar and eggs. The creams were cooked in the jars placed in a bain-marie for about 30 minutes in the oven. They were then left to cool before resting in the fridge.

P. looked surprised and hesitant. “Aren’t they too hot to eat?” he asked when I brought two jars for us to try.

“Well, yes…no. You are not technically supposed to do that. But you’ll see, they’ll be good all the same.”

Didn’t he know that I had been waiting for this all week?

After one spoonful, I felt my entire body relax, enjoying the moment. It was the same feeling of contentment I remembered from when I was a kid. At the second spoonful, I suddenly felt a few kicks in my stomach.

“Eh!” I exclaimed, taken by surprise.

I smiled. It was making bébé happy too.

This dessert was simple and honest; a dessert good pour les grands et les petits (for adults and younger ones).

Spiced Cream with Apple Compote

(For 6 servings)

You need:

1 cup whole milk (try soy if you want a version without dairy)

3/4 cup coconut milk

3 eggs

1 cinnamon stick

6 green cardamon pods, crushed

1/4 cup blond cane sugar

6 tablespoons homemade apple compote

Ground cinnamon, to serve

Apple compote: I typically stew 4 to 5 apples (peeled, cored and diced) with 2 to 3 tablespoons blond cane sugar, and a vanilla pod — other spices too, if I feel like it. The compote is ready when it is soft and the apples are mushed. It keeps well in the fridge for a week. I like to add it to plain yogurt, or spread on a tartine too, and use it in making desserts as well.

Steps:

Preheat the oven at 320 F.

Divide the apple compote between six small glass jars.

In a pot, heat the milk, coconut milk with the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods. When it is almost reaching boiling point, stop the heat and cover; let infuse for 30 minutes, then filter.

In the meantime, in another bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar. Add the infused milk and mix well.

Pour over the apple sauce, making sure to discard the foam that might have formed at the surface of the batter.

Place the jars in a dish filled with boiling water — half way up to the top of the jars. Cook for about 25 minutes. The creams are ready when they are still moving slightly when you jiggle the jars. Let cool at room temperature, then place in the fridge before serving. Serve with dusted cinnamon.

oh bea, i sooo understand the cravings and the constant hunger… 🙂 my husband thought that was so hilarious and took complete advantage of it himself. the pot de creme are amazing… i am such a simple dessert person. mostly dairy. oh and the photos of the cows transport me to my childhood to my grandparents farm where i used to milk cows believe or not!

Hi Bea, congratulations on the news of your bundle of joy – you look absolutely fabulous. The pots de creme look delicious. Are you also going to have the recipe for the lemon poppyseed yogurt tart? I love all things lemon and that looks SO good!

Your post was worth the wait – beautiful and yes, comforting. And I understand your being mindful of what you eat. I was too and when our son was born we fed him fresh foods, good foods. And then one day, he was about 5 or 6, his friend’s mother took him to a McDonald’s. I was crushed. The lemon tart looks delicious. I think I’ll have to try that. Like a light cheesecake?

Hi!! I´m Daena and I´ve been reading your blog for a time,and i like your job, your pics are interesting and i really like your recipies.
I want to study photography and make the same job that you
I have your link in my blog, i hope you don´t will be angry
Kisses and hugs from México =)

I am a petits pots and yogurt with fruit compote kind of gal. Believe it or not, most all desserts I make end up at the neighbors because at the end of the day I just feel like curling on the couch with a vanille pot de creme or a slice of tart. The pots are simply gorgeous!

Stunning! i just recieved a book from a freind who went to paris it is called” mets petits pot de yaourt” it is quaint with lovely recipes and images…..then i come here and it is heaven like the the fluffiest of clouds.

During my last few months of pregnancies all I wanted was popsicles, lemonade popsicles, I ate a LOT of popsicles!.. hehe. Today all I want is your Petits pots, you make them sound ever so comforting for the drizzly day we have here.

That pot de creme made me drool.. I’m sure I’d be kicking with delight too!! I’m not pregnant, and have never been pregnant, but I believe me when I say that I know too well cravings that last for days, even weeks.

Such beautiful photos!! The baby’s so lucky to be getting all those talent!

Alyson, blond cane sugar is less refined than say granulated sugar. It is considered raw, and no, it does not have the same texture as light brown sugar. Look for blond cane simply, or sometimes evaporated cane sugar. Always nicer in taste, and nutrients.

Ooooh Girlfriend! You are going to be the death of me with all these delicious stories and recipes! Your writing is as irressistable as your recipes. I go to try that lemon poppyseed yoghurt tart, it just looks sooooo nice!

Béatrice Peltre is a food writer, stylist and photographer working out of her home studio in Boston.
She is a regular contributor to the Boston Globe Food Section, and her work has appeared in many publications
such as Saveur, Food and Wine, Whole Living, Fine Cooking, the Wall Street Journal, NPR, the Huffington Post,
the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, Edible Boston, Living France, the New York Times Diner’s Journal,
and in many other international magazines.